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mayfield_ooc2012-01-02 05:19 pm
mayfield_mods) wrote in mayfield_ooc2012-01-02 05:19 pm
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Applications
• Please read over all the rules and information before applying in order to minimize any confusion before joining.
• If applying for a character that has already been dropped, it would be a good idea, though not required, to know something of their previous interactions. You are also free to pick up a dropped character with no memories of their previous time in Mayfield.
• All content for the personality and sample entry in your app must be written or roleplayed by you; for the personality section in particular, we do not accept copied text from wikis or other sources. Obviously, you may not copy your app from other players, whether in Mayfield or other games. Application plagiarism will result in a ban from the game.
• If you wish for your character to be placed in a specific house, please mention this in the relevant section of the application and specify that permission was obtained by the PCs already residing in that house. We will be operating by the Honor System for this, and there is no need for others to comment their permission in this post!
• Other special requests would also best go in the beginning of the application. Remember, grammar and spelling are important -- if your app contains errors, you will be asked to revise.
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• If you apply for a character that has already been reserved, we will inform you and ignore the application until the reserve runs out. You may not apply for more than two characters from the same canon. For the sample entry, you may write your own entry, or use a post from a musebox, dressing room, or other game. We recommend
• After you're accepted, please follow all of the instructions given. You will need to reply to the acceptance, post your journal to the friend add page and your canon post, join the communities, and use the friend add page to update your journal. Once you're accepted, please introduce yourself on the community when you're ready to play.
• If your app is "Pending", do not freak out! This means that we need you to make some revisions, and does not mean you're rejected. We generally give players a chance to revise before rejecting them, but we will reject apps that do not address the concerns stated when we asked for a revision. If you have been rejected, our reply will clearly state this to be the case. If we have not gotten back to you yet, under no circumstance does this mean you are rejected. If it has been over a week since our last reply, it would be a good idea to contact us with a reminder, otherwise, please be patient!
• If you have received a "Pending" notice, you will have one week to supply us with your revisions, or your reserve will be considered expired and that someone else is free to apply for the character.
• The typical wait for a reply on apps may be anywhere from a day to a little over a week. If any part of your application requires a pending, it may be another week after your reply to that before we can get to you. We process a high volume of apps every round, so please be patient.
• If you have not heard back on a pending for over a week after apps close, please send a PM directly to the mod account.
Italy Romana | Axis Powers Hetalia; Nyotalia | Reserved | 2/???
In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Greeks began to settle in Italy due to famine, overcrowding etc, as well as a need for expansion and net ports and outlets and expulsion from their homeland. During this period Romana came to be, a tiny little thing known as Magna Gracia by the Romans, or 'Great Greece'. Naturally for most of her early life Romana's main influence was a Greek one, and she was found first by Ancient Greece. The older man became somewhat of a mentor or surrogate grandfather to the little girl, teaching her all about his own culture, from religious rites to the dialects of Ancient Greece. With this influence Romana's own Hellenic civilisation developed, and it would later come to interact with the Italic and Latin, sharing things like a Chalcidean/Cumaean variety of the Greek alphabet with the Etruscans which would later evolve into the Latin alphabet. Not to mention how these new Hellenic cities became rich and powerful, like Capua, Neapolis (Naples). In 420 BC the port in Naples became one of the most important of the Mediterranean sea.
While Ancient Greece had a huge impact on her early years, he wasn't family. Over the years Romana had caught glimpses of her Grandmother, a powerful woman in armour, the strong Roman Empire. While she felt an attachment to Ancient Greece thanks to a shared culture and peoples a part of her knew that Ancient Rome was her family, and really it came at no surprise that at the end of the Pyrrhic War Romana found herself leaving Ancient Greece and being 'absorbed' into the Roman Republic. She would still see the older man through the years, but now the majority of her time was spent in the heart of the Republic, in Rome, under the eyes of her Grandmother. With the shift came a change in name, Romana now being given the name that would stick with her for the rest of her life - Italia Romana.
It was in Rome that she met her sister, Italia Venezia, for the first time, a little girl from the North. With hair a few shades lighter than Romana's and eyes that were amber not green, it was clear from the beginning that they had different influences in their formative years. Not to mention the differences in personalities, Venezia a much more cheerful girl while Romana was usually stubborn and even bratty. Her insecurities began right there, Romana unused to sharing the attention of an adult, and feeling inadequate to Venezia's easy cheerfulness. It was common to hear Ancient Roma cooing over the younger sister and complimenting her while forgetting to do so to the older.
Time went on. The girl's met their 'siblings': Gaul from the North, Hispania and Lusitania to the West. There was also Germania from the north, a silent strong woman who served as her Grandmother's bodyguard as well as friend in Ancient Rome's eyes. As Ancient Rome's granddaughters they were given an equal education unlike other human girls of the empire, though Ancient Rome shied off teaching them warfare. She wanted her granddaughters to be artists and lovers, not soldiers. They were happy, but it wasn't to last.
As Romana would later learn, no Empires lasted forever. Ancient Rome grew weaker as her Empire fell apart and finally disappeared. While Romana could never prove it she always assumed it was Germanaia who committed the below that finally took her Grandmother, and it was there that her distrust in Germans began. From then to the Gothic Wars she lived under Germania's protection, the woman fulfilling her last favour for Ancient Rome by keeping her granddaughters safe.
In the 500's, after the Gothic Wars, Romana found herself coming under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. Again she was divided from her sister, but at the same time she was reunited with Ancient Greece, the older man having shifted into an Empire like her grandmother's. The Greek influence still remained in Southern Italy and Romana found herself adjusting to the shift in situation, though she found herself missing the little sister she had previously labelled annoying and attention seeking. Often, she would sneak away from Ancient Greece/Byzantine Empire to go to the north and check on the younger girl, always remembering her Grandmother's instructions to look after her younger sister. But overall she was still reasonably happy, even as she found herself starting to wish she would grow some more, becoming frustrated with the fact she still possessed the body of a five year old human child. It made it very difficult to be taken seriously.
Then from the 9th to the 11th centuries Romana found herself in a metaphorical game of keep away, with her as the ball... item being kept. Thing. Caught between Greece, Lombardy, and the Islamic Caliphate, the South found itself in the middle of many wars for control. For once Romana started to become afraid, her body still to childlike to put an end to the fighting. Not to mention she had no skills in warfare unlike her 'sisters' Gaul from the North, Hispania and Lusitania, thanks to her Grandmother's decision to not train them. So she just had to put up with it, being snatched by power to power, a fact that only made her insecurities grow as Romana began to believe that she was only wanted for the land she represented, and not because of who she was. It left her suspicious of people's intentions, and unable to fully trust someone completely, habits she has never been able to shake. In this period a few Islamic states were formed within her, by the Islamic Caliphate, such as the Emirate of Sicily and Emirate of Bari. This Arabic ruling left it's own influence, further darkening her skin and hair, making the physical differences between her and her sister only more noticeable. However by then Romana was mistrustful, and did her best to keep anyone from further influencing her culture. However it left it's mark on her art, as well as the language of Sicily, as much as it annoyed her.
By the 11th century the Normans had made their move and now occupied all the Lombard and Byzantine possession in South Italy, which ended the six centuries presence of both powers in the peninsula. Eventually they also expelled the Muslims from Sicily. However under Roger II the Norman Kingdom of Sicily was said to be characterised by it's multi-ethnic nature and religious tolerance, and he allowed Normans, Jews, Muslim Arabs, Byzantine Greeks, Lombards and the 'native' Sicilians to live together, creating a relative harmony. However this tolerance to different nationalities and religions was not something Romana truly learnt from, both from stubbornness, her belief that her people and her religion were better that those of the invading people. It also didn't help that the Norman domination did not last very long, formally ending in 1198, and thus couldn't really leave an impact on her like being under Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome did.
After the end of the Norman reign with Constance of Sicily, Romana was picked up by the Swabian Hohenstaufen dynasty, German Kings, three of whom were crowned Holy Roman Emperor. With Romana's previous negatives interactions with Germans through Germania still firmly embedded in her mind, she treated this take over with hostility, with one exception. She did not completely mind Emperor Frederick II, who did take quite good care of her, having a long commitment in developing her land, people and culture. He endorsed a legal reform in Sicily which culminated with the creation of the Constitutions of Melfi which was a collection of laws that were considered quite remarkable at the time, and would remain to be a source of inspiration for a long time after as well as remaining the basis of Sicilian law until 1819 (with slight changes over the years). He also made the Kingdom of Sicily a centralised state and his royal court in Palermo saw the first use of a literary form of an Italo-Romance language, Sicilian, which would then go on to significantly influence the beginnings of the modern Italian language. For these developments Romana does think kindly of Emperor Frederick II, though it is done rather grudgingly, and never out loud. She's a very stubborn girl, however the fact that she hasn't kicked up a fuss over the fact that the previously named University of Naples is now know as the Università Federico II shows her true feelings.
In 1266 conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the Papacy led to Sicily being conquered by Charles I, Duke of Anjou, which then led into the War of Sicilian Vespers, caused by opposition to French officialdom and taxation as well as incitement of rebellion by both the Aragonese and Byzantine agents. The Sicilian Vespers successful invasion was led by Peter III of Aragon in 1282 and the war would last till 1302, ending with the Peace of Caltabellotta and the division of the old Kingdom of Sicily. This Romana clearly did not like, because again, it was more powerful countries, fighting over land that was hers, and peoples that were hers. But still, she had barely aged, her growth squashed by continuous changes in power and a reluctance to let in new culture and absorb those strengths. The actual island of Sicily was taken by Frederick III of Aragon, who had already been ruling it, while the peninsular territories which had previously been known also as the Kingdom of Sicily, but now know to the modern day as the Kingdom of Naples went to Charles II of Anjou, who had also been previously ruling that section. This peace was merely a formal act and an unstable status quo, and Romana would find herself being influenced by two different cultures, French and Spanish, which meant she was caught between her older sisters, something that would not be the first and last time. Thankfully, in Romana's opinion, the King of Spain was able to grab both of the crowns starting from the 16th century, leaving Romana in the now teen-aged Spain's care, which was the lesser of two evils she decided. However it wasn't until 1816 that the Kingdoms were completely reunited as the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, which just gave Romana yet another name she was now known as.
Alfonso V was the one to conquer the Kingdom of Naples from the House of Anjou in 1442, and now Sicily and Naples were unified as dependencies of Aragon. In 1458 the kingdom was again separated when Alfonso died, with Naples going to his illegitimate son, Ferrante. Then when Ferrante died in 1494, Charles VIII of France invaded Italy and used the Angevin claim to the throne of Naples, an inheritance of his father, as a pretext. This then started the Italian Wars, and while Charles VIII managed to expel Alfonso II of Naples from, well, Naples, in 1495, he ultimately was forced to withdraw as Ferdinand II of Aragon support was for his cousin and Alfonso II's son Ferrantino, who was placed back on the throne. However he died soon after in 1496 and was succeeded by his uncle Frederick IV.
Naturally, the French did not give up their claim, agreeing in 1501 to a partition of the kingdom with Ferdinand of Aragon who had decided to abandon his cousin King Frederick. Of course the deal soon feel through, and France and Aragon resumed fighting over the kingdom, Ferdinand being the eventual winner in 1504, and while the are remained an area of dispute between France and Spain for several decades after, the French attempts to gain control begun to become weaker and the Spanish control was never truly threatened. Finally with the Treaty of Cateau- Cambrésis in 1559 the French gave up their claims to the kingdom, and Romana began to think she was finally going to be settled down. Even though France had never gained control of her, the years had being annoying, as France had occasionally attempted to physically take her from Spain, and while Romana at the time would refuse to admit it, she was beginning to grow attached to the older girl. She remembered Spain from her childhood, and had always had a better friendship with the girl, Spain reminding her of her Grandmother. So now that France had finally given up, she hoped nothing would happen for awhile and hopefully she would grow.
Even when the kingdom changed hands again, after the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century, Romana's life was not completely uprooted. Austria, somehow sensing of knowing Romana's feelings towards Germans. While Naples and Sardina were given to Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor in 1713, joined by Sicily in in 1720, Austria agreed to let Romana stay with Spain, knowing that the young girl had already began to form an attachment to the older, and that to break them apart would only hurt Romana. The fact that Romana's temper was already legendary probably also helped sway Austria's decision. Naples and Sicily would later by conquered by a Spanish Army in 1734, Charles, Duke of Parma, a younger son of King Philip V of Spain being installed as King of the two regions in 1735. It would later be left to Charles younger son Ferdinand IV when Charles inherited the Spanish throne from his half-brother in 1759.
But through all of this Romana stayed under Spain's care, slowly beginning to age, despite Spain constantly babying her. Perhaps because Spain had fought so hard and for so long to keep her hands on her, she was one of Spain's most favoured 'children', as the older would call them, despite the fact that Romana was nearly as old as her, unlike the South America colonies. Working as a maid for Spain, she would usually be found in the kitchen, assisting the women there and learning herself. She found herself keeping an eye on the younger South America colonies, and it was here her motherliness began to show, Romana often acting like an older sister to the others, especially so when Spain was extremely busy. She also received an education, and one that was more similar to a male's of the day, rather then the females. Spain believed in equal education for her colonies, which meant that Romana was well read, knew her mathematics and history, as well as the geography of the day, often being allowed to peer over Spain's maps. She was was also taught to fence by the older woman, a skill she did demand that Spain instruct her in. Slowly she aged from a small child into a pubescent girl, and she started to grow stronger. And through this time, she remained distant to her sister, the different courses their lives or history had gone through creating two girls that were different to the ones they had been at their grandmother's death. Despite this, Romana tried her best to keep and eye on her sister, even from a difference, and would often bug Spain to visit Austria and take her, so she could check on her.
Despite being conquered again by France and her Napoleon, a sense of nationalism growing in Italy. Even as Napoleon captured Naples in the name of the French Republic, Romana was starting to think enough was enough, these feeling urged on by the feelings of her people. King Ferdinand had fled Italy and would not return till June 1799 and would then dethroned by the now French Emperor Napoleon in 1806, who appointed his brother, Joseph, as King of Naples. In 1808, in the Edict of Bayonne, Napoleon moved his brother to Spain and appointed his brother-in-law as King of the Two Sicilies, however this meant they could only control the mainland portion of the Kingdom.